1. Would Carmelo Anthony be the right star to pair with Derrick Rose?Nick Friedell: The right star? Probably not given how much Carmelo likes to have the ball in his hands. But what other star is coming to Chicago? Even if the odds are long regarding the Bulls finding a way to bring him here, they're still better than any other big star coming to play with Rose.

Doug Padilla: Teaming a shoot-first small forward with a scoring point guard seems supremely misguided, unless the NBA plans on using two basketballs during future games. Would Melo and Rose be fun to watch? Heck yes. But adding the 29-year-old Anthony, who makes $21 million this season, won't instantly turn the Bulls into a championship contender. And how much money would be left to build a supporting cast? The biggest issue of all is how much this would weaken the defense. Fun to watch is one thing, but this just isn't a good fit.

Scoop Jackson: No. As much as I love Melo, I don't see him working here without Luol Deng to be the balance that is needed while trying to build a championship-contending squad. I still am a fan of the Rose/Anthony offensive aesthetic and believe it could produce great results under Thibs if Melo makes some sort of commitment to defense and a little rebounding. But without Deng -- or the Bulls finding a player just like him -- it just doesn't work.

2. Who is more important to the Bulls' long-term success, Tom Thibodeau or a healthy Rose? Friedell: Thibs is one of the best coaches around, but the NBA remains a star-driven league. The Bulls are going nowhere unless Rose gets healthy again.

Padilla: Since we're talking about a "healthy" Rose, clearly the former MVP is the bigger franchise changer. Talent wins the day in all sports, especially in the NBA. Thibodeau has all the earmarks of being a top-five head coach, but a top-five player, as Rose would be when healthy, simply carries more weight. Not saying just anybody can coach a talented NBA club to success, but even the best of coaches need talent at their disposal. Putting an injury-prone Rose into the question would alter the answer, though.

Jackson: Probably Thibs because to win a championship in the LeBron era, someone is going to have to construct a plan to beat him that goes beyond one player outplaying him. It's like with the Pacers: Paul George is the player who they cannot do without, but coach Frank Vogel will be the reason they get past Miami. And if that's the definition of success, then the coach plays a slightly bigger role in the end.

3. Is it important for Rose to travel with the team and sit on the bench this season?Friedell: Yes. He needs to feel like he's still part of the team and the players need to know he is still around and trying to get back on the floor. From a PR perspective, I think it's important for Rose to be there. He has played only 50 games in the past three years and fans have started to turn on him. His presence can only help show fans that he wants to support his teammates despite all of the injuries.

Padilla: Absolutely not. The idea that Rose's presence is necessary is something that only the Bulls players need to decide. Thus far, through two major knee injuries, Rose has the utmost respect from his teammates. Maybe if Rose had me-first tendencies, this could be an issue. But the way the kid devotes himself to winning when he's on the floor says plenty about his team focus. There is this, though: Nothing bad figures to come from Rose traveling and sitting on the bench.

Jackson: No. Last season I think it was. This time there's nothing to gain from it. It borders on torture for Rose and a constant reminder of what's missing for the team and staff. Maybe some games and trips are fine, as to not lose total contact and to keep Derrick connected to the game and stop him from cabin fever at home. But to hold him to the same travel schedule as the rest of the team benefits no one.

Charles Barkley believes acquiring New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony could make the Chicago Bulls relevant.
"I think [Anthony] has got some flaws in his game on the defensive end and rebounding, but if you put him with [Joakim] Noah -- Noah's my favorite player -- I think [coach Tom Thibodeau] would make him play defense," Barkley said Monday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN Chicago 1000. "I also think if the Bulls are going to be relevant in the next few years that might be something they can do. Carmelo is the best scorer in the NBA. I give him a little advantage over [Kevin] Durant because Durant doesn't post up as much as I think he should.

"But if the Bulls are going to be relevant the next few years, that might be a good pickup."

Anthony can opt out of the final year of his contract with the Knicks to become a free agent on July 1. A Yahoo! Sports report over the weekend quoted a source saying the Bulls are "much more in play for him" than the Los Angeles Lakers.

How would Anthony, perhaps the game's best scorer, fit into Thibodeau's defense-first system?

"I think Coach Thibs would be great for Carmelo," Barkley said. "I think he would make Carmelo a better player, more [than] one-dimensional because I think the Bulls play as hard as any team in the NBA. Thibs is great defensively. I think Thibs would do wonders for Carmelo."

If Anthony re-ups with the Knicks, he could ink a five-year contract worth $129,135,806. If he signs with another team, the maximum he can earn is $95,897,372 over four years, according to calculations by ESPN salary-cap expert Larry Coon. The Bulls would have to significantly overhaul their roster to pair Anthony with Derrick Rose, who is already signed to a max contract.

Barkley said he believes the perception that the Bulls are cheap is accurate, although he only cited their dealings with Thibodeau on the coach's extension as evidence.

"I do think they are cheap like the way they treated Coach Thibs a couple years ago," Barkley said. "The guy is one of the best coaches in the NBA and they make him wait. It was like pulling teeth getting a contract. I really don't have any problem with anything else they did. I have no problem with the [Luol] Deng trade because they are not going to sign him for big money going forward. He's an older player. I thought that was a great trade for the Bulls.

"I think they are in a very awkward situation. If they don't do something dramatic like bring in a Carmelo they are going to be irrelevant for the next few years."

Anthony aside, Barkley said the Bulls' future all comes down to Rose's surgically repaired knees.

"They were a legit contender before Derrick Rose started getting hurt. They were in the Eastern Conference finals a couple of years ago. They were right there," Barkley said. "The whole thing now is Derrick Rose's knees. I'm not sure what's going to happen with that situation. It's going to be wait and see the next couple of years.

"Derrick is such a great kid, but we don't have any idea how he is going to come back. If you're going to be relevant, Melo might be the way to go because there really isn't any other free agent out there right now who you would say, 'If we bring in this guy our team is going to be a lot better.'"

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I think at this point of Melo's career, he wants to win. He has help in Derrick Rose, and let's not forget that Chicago is still closer to winning a championship than New York. However, I don't think it's gonna happen. Bulls would have to overpay him and Melo has already said that he would love to retire as a Knick.

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The Rhymenoceros

Staff Member

Veteran Luol Deng not happy about being traded into mess that is Cleveland CavaliersDAVID LIAM KYLE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGESOn Jan. 7, Deng is brought in to help clean up mess in Cleveland when he arrived in a deal for Andrew Bynum.

It’s been a true culture shock for Luol Deng since he’s been a Cleveland Cavalier over the past 26 days. Not in a good way, either.

Deng has seen how a team mired in losing since LeBron James left town wrongly caters to its young star players, even as they continue to undermine head coach Mike Brown at almost every turn. In Chicago, where Deng broke in and played nine-plus seasons, there is a winning culture where players are expected to act like professionals and understand that they will suffer the consequences if they step out of line.

As Deng recently told one close friend, “the stuff going on in practice would never be tolerated by the coaching staff or the front office back in Chicago. It’s a mess."

Deng was brought in to help clean it up when he arrived in a deal for Andrew Bynum on Jan. 7. But since then, he’s seen players get thrown out of practice, take off their uniform tops at halftime and threaten not to play, mouth off to Brown and generally act like spoiled brats. Entering Saturday’s game at Houston, the Cavs had lost seven of their last 11 games since the Deng trade.

HOWARD SIMMONS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSDion Waiters is kicked out of practice but still gets his usual minutes vs. the Knicks.

There is no accountability, as Dion Waiters found out when he was kicked out of practice last week but still got his usual minutes against the Knicks. Brown isn’t getting much help from GM Chris Grant, who is expected to be fired at season’s end because of the losing and problems in the locker room.

The Cavs were supposed to challenge for a playoff spot, but not to worry. All the losing isn’t keeping them from having a good time. During their trip to New York, several players enjoyed themselves immensely the night before the game against the Knicks, partying into the wee hours with J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, and other NFL players. Their late-night/early morning carousing played a factor when they didn’t even try in their blow-out loss to the Knicks.

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Head Coach

Sources: Jimmer Fredette looks East
The Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers are the latest teams to register interest in Jimmer Fredette, according to sources close to the process.
Fredette and the Sacramento Kings officially agreed to a contract buyout Thursday ahead of the league's Saturday midnight ET deadline that will make the former BYU star eligible to appear in the playoffs with another team.

Even before the buyout was agreed to, Fredette's representatives had begun talks with interested teams, with one source saying the third-year shooting guard is giving strong consideration to signing with a contender in the East.ESPN.com reported this week that the Memphis Grizzlies were pursuing Fredette, but the Grizzlies seemingly bowed out Wednesday, claiming former New York Knicks guard Beno Udrih off waivers when they sensed that Fredette preferred other options.The Bulls have been handcuffed all season by luxury-tax concerns but, according to sources, quickly threw themselves into the Fredette mix after it became apparent this week that the sharpshooter would be parting company with Sacramento.Chicago is roughly $600,000 below the luxury-tax threshold and believes it can sign a player to a prorated minimum deal and avoid going down as a tax team at season's end.Cleveland, meanwhile, needs shooters even after trading for spot-up big man Spencer Hawes last week and have thus begun looking at Fredette as well. But the Akron Beacon-Journal reported Thursday that the Cavaliers' level of interest in Fredette could depend on the health of guards Dion Waiters (ankle) and C.J. Miles (knee), whose respective situations are expected to be clarified Thursday.--------------------
Fredette could play combo guard for the Bulls depending on the team and who is out on the court. He will learn defense if he comes.

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